Am I Covered by the Law?
The law that applies to most rental housing in Prince Edward Island is the Rental of Residential Property Act and the Rental of Residential Property Act Regulations. The Act and Regulations explain the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants.They also explain what you or your landlord can do if one of you isn’t respecting the law.
If your landlord doesn’t fulfill their responsibilities, you can file an application with the Rental Office and ask them to issue an order to require your landlord to do something. Your landlord can also ask the Director to get involved if you are not fulfilling your responsibilities. The Rental Office resolves problems between landlords and tenants. This Office has an administrative tribunal that acts like a court to resolve problems between landlords and tenants. This process is called a hearing.
If you rent housing that is not covered under the law, the Office of the Director of Residential Rental Property can’t help you if you have issues with your rental.
The Act covers most rental housing. The Act does not apply to:
- Housing co-operatives
- University or college residences
- Community care facilities or long-term care facilities
- Facilities that provide therapeutic or rehab services
- Group homes
- Short-term rentals where the person stays for less than one month
- Commercial rental
Applying the Act to Roommates
The Act and the Regulations apply to people that have a landlord-tenant relationship. It does not normally apply to the relationship between roommates. You may not be protected by the law if you have a disagreement with your roommate.
There are certain circumstances when your roommate may be considered your landlord. Visit Roommates for more information.
Lessors, Landlords and Property Managers
You may hear different terms used to describe landlords. In the Rental of Residential Property Act, the word lessor is used. Lessors refers to either the owner of the rental housing, or the person they choose to represent them. For example, a property manager or superintendent.
The word landlord is commonly used to describe the owner of rental housing. Throughout this website, we use the word landlord.
The word property manager is commonly used to describe the person in charge of managing the rental housing. You should be given the name and contact information for the property manager, if you have one. Speak with your landlord to find out who you should contact if you have issues with your rental, including in an emergency.